For the Good of Mankind
by Jack Cross
Summary: A Spartan-III is transported to the Avatar World during the Battle of Earth. But he's not alone. How will he adapt to life in Republic City? And will he continue the war for humanity's survival in this new world? Rating may go up in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1: New Membosa

__**I do not own Halo or Legend of Korra. **

**A/N: While there is a Spartan-B170, nothing about him/her is known other then their company and ID number, so i took the liberty of creating a name. Please Review and let me know what you think. **

_UNSC Carrier _Sabre of Dawn. _In orbit over Earth, October 20, 2552. _

Alarms blared through the ship as he ran through the hallway, dodging the various crewmembers that had yet to reach their battle stations. SPARTAN-B170, more commonly referred to as Warrant Officer or just simply Wade, was making his way to the bridge in order to report to the Capitan.

The defense cluster above Earth that the _Sabre of Dawn _was apart of had come under attack by a small Covenant Fleet not thirty minutes before. Already two of the three Super MAC gun platforms that made up the backbone of the cluster had been destroyed.

Despite this, only two Covenant Carriers remained with the rest of the fleet having been destroyed. Still, two carriers could do a lot of damage against the remaining defenses around the planet. Wade was the only Spartan onboard the ship, and one of only a hundred or so in the entire system.

The Spartan-III stepped onto the bridge and immediately surveyed the situation. UNSC fighters soared past the bridge as they fought with Covenant Seraphs and Banshees.

"You wished to see me Capitan?" he asked, his voice distorted slightly by the speaker in his helmet. Capitan Kristina Kylie turned and beheld the super soldier in front of her. The MJONIR armor the towering figure wore was battered from years of conflict. What was once a shamrock green had faded into the background gray, with the occasional shining silver gash occurring every now and then.

"Indeed I did Spartan, things aren't going well with the fleet as you probably can tell," she said, motioning to the scenes of battle beyond the glass. The black reflective visor on the Spartan's helmet made it impossible for the Capitan to look at his face and tell what he was thinking. Although she doubted she could accomplish that even if he wasn't wearing the helmet.

"What do you want me to do maim?" he asked. The Capitan turned and looked back toward the battle.

"There's a Covenant Carrier that's landing in East Africa, over New Mombasa. Lord Hood has ordered that we drop all ODSTs into the city near the Carrier so we can land other troops later. Your going in with them," she said.

"I understand," came the reply before the Spartan snapped a crisp salute and marched off the bridge. As a Spartan, Wade was trained not to question orders, to obey upon impulse. Although personally, he wasn't looking forward to dropping in with the ODSTs as his last encounter with the ship's group had resulted in three members sent groundside for medical treatment after a fight in the Mess Hall.

As he entered the main pod chamber, Wade ignored the various stares and whispered comments coming from the ODSTs. Although almost all Helljumpers were crazy enough to take on even the most suicidal missions, none of them dared take on a fully suited Spartan. Something about the armor and what the wearer could do commanded a kind of respect.

"Helljumpers, The Covenant are landing on Earth. On your home, my home, and your momma's home! You will be going straight into hell, how are you gonna get there?" called the commanding officer.

"Feet First!" came the unified reply.

"Good, now our guests have set up a party on the surface, I suggest we crash it by smashing through the roof, into your pods!" Another unified shout went up from the ODSTs before they climbed into their pods. Wade grabbed up a BR55HB SR Battle Rifle along with a M6C pistol and various hand grenades

Without a single comment, The Spartan climbed into an unused pod and flipped a few switches, bringing the machine to life. A single bump came from the pod, followed by the humming sound of a crane as the pods were lifted into position. Below, the outline of the Horn of Africa was clear on the planet. With a single click, the pods were released, beginning their fall toward the planet.

Wade used the controls on both arms of the pod chair to guide the pod as they fell. Outside of the pod, the group as they plummeted through the battle had formed a small cluster. Below, the Covenant Carrier that had remained in orbit erupted in a massive blue fireball as an antimatter charge detonated within the bowels of the ship.

The Spartan speculated that John-117 had to be responsible for the destruction of the carrier. At least it looked like his handiwork from this distance. As clouds passed by in the blink of an eye, the cluster spread out slightly. A small form of parachute opened on top of the pods to slow them down for a moment before they detached.

With crash after almighty crash, the pods slammed into the streets of New Mombasa over the course of a few blocks. A small hiss filled the air, followed by a loud bang as the pod's door fired away, allowing Wade to get to work. He brought up the battle rifle and scanned the area around where he had landed.

While the ODSTs secured the area around them, Wade took this moment to test his armor function and see if it was still operational. With a soft electronic hum, the towering faceless warrior faded out of existence. After a moment or two, he reappeared in the same spot where he had been.

"Spartan! All your equipment check out?" called the commanding officer. The Spartan held a thumb up to show that everything was in working order. A blue beam of light suddenly rushed past the Spartan's head, slamming into an ODST's visor behind him.

With a smooth, quick motion, he brought up the battle rifle and fired a burst into the Jackal Sniper's head, killing the alien creature instantly. Hundreds of Grunts and Jackals suddenly poured onto the street, rushing towards the ODSTs with their weapons blazing.

"Get tactical Marines! Open Fire!" shouted the commanding officer. Every solider on the street was instantly firing into the charging waves of the enemy as they rushed to set up a defensive line. Sliding a new clip into his battle rifle, Wade charged the aliens like a bull seeing red.

With a single bounding leap, he cleared the heads of the ODSTs and opened fire with his rifle, cutting down many Grunts and Jackals as he went. When the gun clicked empty, he put it over his shoulder to allow the magnetic attachment on the back of his armor to hold the weapon before he drew his pistol and knife.

A small group of Elites suddenly came out on the street, their plasma rifles blazing at the Spartan, even though most of the bolts only resulted in hitting a Grunt or Jackal in the back. With a kneeling motion, The Spartan suddenly disappeared, as his Active Camouflage was activated.

The Elites instantly slid to a halt as the scanned the area around them with their weapons at the ready. Nearby, The ODSTs finished off the last of the Grunts and Jackals and began to watch the Elites. Suddenly, one of the towering creatures to the rear of the group cried out as purple blood suddenly erupted from a wound on its neck.

The other Elites spun around and aimed at their dying comrade. Wade suddenly appeared in mid air as he slammed into a red armored Elite that stood next to the golden armored commander, driving his knife between into one of its eyes.

Jumping back in surprise, the commanding Elite threw its plasma rifle to the side before it drew its energy sword. With a hiss that sounded like steam escaping, the bluish white blade of the weapon suddenly appeared before its master swung the weapon at the Spartan.

Wade instantly rolled to the side, avoiding the deadly arc of the weapon before he came up in a crouched motion with his pistol and knife. The Elite let out a cross between a yell and a roar at its comrades, causing the other Elites to back off and form a ring around the two.

Looking like he was in a forest surrounded by the seven-foot tall reptile like creatures, the Spartan-III stood to his full height. He then charged the commander, rolling at the last minute to avoid the swing that would have cut his head clean off. Coming up behind the Elite, Wade drove his knife into the sword arm, crippling its ability to use the weapon.

With a quick jump, the Spartan tore the sword out of the elites hand with his free one while firing his pistol. The bullet smashed into the pincer like jaws of the alien, passing through its skull and ripping its helmet off of its head when it exploded out of the back of the skull.

As he held the sword and the pistol up, waiting for the rest of the Elites to attack, a red armored officer barked an order in their language to its comrades before they began to run, back in the direction the Carrier that loomed overhead.

"Yeah, that's right you sons of bitches! Run!" shouted an ODST as Wade stood to his full height again, deactivating the energy sword. He dropped the weapon onto the chest plate of the dead Elite before recovering his knife. As he scrapped the purple gore off of the knife onto one of the dead grunts, he heard the ODSTs muttering to themselves.

"Rodriguez, any idea what the hell it's doing?" called the Commanding Officer. The Spartan returned his knife to its proper place before looking up at the Carrier. What looked like waves of water and bright blue lighting bolt were being emitted from the bow of the ship.

"Sir, I think it's going to jump. Inside the city," said Rodriguez as he watched the ship. Everything suddenly disappeared in a flashing white light as the ship entered slip space, taking everything around it with it.


	2. Chapter 2: Arrival

**As always, please review and let me know what you think. **

**A/N: As an FYI to all you die hard Halo fans out there, I know that most Spartan-IIIs didn't wear the armor or made a higher rank like Warrent Officer. However most of the members of Noble Team did wear the armor, all of them but Jorge were Spartan-IIIs, and at least two members were Warrent Officers.  
**

The glaring white light slowly faded away. Wade blinked a few times to clear his vision. A gray sky greeted him as he began to comprehend what he was seeing. The first thing he noticed was the lack of the towering buildings that made up New Mombasa, the second was how cold his face was. It took him a second to process that it was snowing. His hand slid into view as he brought it up, blocking the flakes that was falling onto his face.

Wade quickly realized that he was no longer wearing his helmet, which explained why his face was cold. He slowly got to his feet and looked around him. His helmet was leaning up against the base of a nearby pine tree. Stumbling slightly, he made his way over and picked up the helmet. For a moment, he stared into the slightly distorted reflection of his face on the black visor before he turned it over and slid it on.

With a small hiss, the helmet's display activated. The shield's bar slowly filled as the suit's functions came back online. As the Active Camouflage registered as functional, Wade stood to his full height and made his way over to where his rifle lay.

The mountainous terrain around him, coupled with the pine trees confused him about his location, as it looked nothing like East Africa. After a moment, he activated his comm system and scanned for any UNSC frequencies.

"This is Spartan B-170, can anyone hear me?" he called through the radio on an unrestricted channel. Only static answered him. With a simple sigh, he began to make his way down the mountain, hoping to find a scrap of civilization. Although he didn't have an idea as to where he was, or even what planet he was on.

After a few minutes of walking, he found himself along the side of what appeared to be a road. It was covered with snow with tire tracks running in the middle. From what Wade could tell, the marks where way to thin to be a Warthog. Turning, he began to follow the road down the hill.

After almost an hour of walking, the snow finally stopped falling. He stopped and checked the comms again, but was still greeted with static. After another hour, the sun began to go down. A large orange glow appeared on sky ahead of him, a sign of a large city that lay ahead.

Coming up on top of a low ridge, he was presented with a large city in the valley below him. Towering skyscrapers sat at what appeared to be the heart of the city, with a harbor just beyond that. Airships sailed above the city, almost like they were on patrol.

With another call over the comms, Wade made his way down the ridge and into the city. He stuck to the alleys, not wanting to make contact with the locals until he was sure that they were friendly. The architecture of the buildings appeared to be Far East Asian, although the Spartan knew very little about architecture other then were to plant a charge when bringing a building down.

"I'm telling you, Water Tribe food just takes some getting use to," came a female voice from around the corner ahead of him. He froze, hoping that the shadows would hide him.

"Korra, all I'm saying is that I've eaten noodles all my life, and frankly that just tasted like rubber," came a reply as four teenagers appeared at the end of the ally. One of the two females wore a dark blue jacket with white fur on it while the other wore black. The two males wore similar outfits with the taller having a red scarf around his neck.

"You wouldn't know something decent to eat if you ate it," said the girl in blue, Korra, as she turned to the shorter of the two males.

"Whatever Korra, I'm still a better Earthbender then you," said the guy she had been talking to.

"You want to put that to the test Bolin?" Korra asked. Bolin nodded, a grin on his face.

"You bet. How about distance, to the end of the ally," he said, motioning to the ally where Wade stood. The Spartan shot a glance to the rooftops, weighing the possibilities that they could support his weight with the armor. Looking back at the small group, his eyes went wide when he saw both Korra and Bolin stomp their feet, causing two chucks of rock to shoot up from the street. They both swung their fists, causing the rocks to shoot down the ally and slam into Wade's chest. The Spartan let out a grunt as he was thrown and landed on his back.

"Did you hear that? Sounds like you two just managed to hit someone," said Mako as he peered down the ally. Wade got back to his feet and watched as his shields recharged, as they had taken the brunt of the impact.

"What is that?" asked Asami as the Spartan got back to his feet, looking like a hulking monster in the shadows. Mako swung his fists, releasing two bolts of fire. They landed next to Wade at the base of the walls, lighting up the ally around him.

"Seriously, what is that?" asked Korra as she, Bolin, and Mako took defensive stances.

"It doesn't look like anything from Future Industries," said Asami as she quickly donned her eletroglove. Acting quickly, the Spartan activated his Active Camouflage, causing the massive armored frame to flicker, and then fade out of existence.

The teens froze as they scanned the area where the towering figure had stood. Not even a slimmer in the air gave a sign to the Spartan's location.

"Where did it go?" asked Mako as he stood at the ready.

"I don't know, but not even future industries has something that can just vanish like that," replied Asami. The group stared some more, watching as the small fires began to die out.

"Come on, we should get back to Air Temple Island," said Korra as she slowly retreated from the ally, followed closely by the others. A solid minute went by before the Spartan faded back into existence. He tried the comms again before he stepped out into the street.

The small group was a few blocks away now, and heading to their destination at a brisk speed. Turning, he began to follow them; all while keeping his distance and ducking in and out of ally's to allow his camouflage to recharge. This group interested Wade, and he was determined to find out more about them and this world.


	3. Chapter 3: The Airbending Master

**As always, please review and let me know what you think. **

Tenzin stood on a bluff, overlooking Air Temple Island's docks, watching as Korra and her friends disembarked from the ferry. Even from this distance, he could tell that something was bothering the small group. For a moment, he turned his gaze from the group to the massive statue of his father across the harbor. With a sigh to suppress the sorrow in his heart, the Airbending Master began to descend and meet the group.

"What happened?" he asked as he came to a halt just up the path from the group.

"We were on our way back from the noodle shop, and we saw this…thing," said Korra, shaken by her encounter.

"Describe it," said Tenzin as he led the way back up to level ground.

"Big and dark, like a mecha tank, only smaller and more humanoid. And then it just disappeared," said Asami.

"When did you see it last?"

"Near the Central Station, about twenty minutes ago." Mako looked away from the group and out over the city. As he began to look back to the group, he noticed a set of footprints in the snow that didn't belong to anyone.

"Its still here," he said, taking a bending stance.

"Mako there's nothing there," said Korra. Instead of relaxing, the young firebender released a bolt of fire at nothing but thin air. Rather then shoot out over the cliffs, the bolt smashed into an invisible wall, rolling up and over it like a wave hitting the shore.

In silence, the towering armor of the Spartan faded into existence. His Battle Rifle was holstered on his back rather then in his hands. As everyone took a bending stance, the Spartan raised his hands to waist level, either showing he didn't want a fight or preparing to draw a weapon.

"I don't want a fight," came the slightly distorted voice. Everyone tensed as the Spartan began to raise his hands. A hiss filled the air as the Spartan grasped his helmet and lifted it up over his head. The pale skin on his face appeared to be almost blue due to the massive lack of sunlight. His black hair was cut to standard military length and made him appear to be almost bald. The white scar of burned flesh rested on his left cheek. Amazingly, he didn't appear to be much older then Mako.

"What are you?" asked Asami, her pale skin turning even whiter with fear.

"Human," came the reply as he cocked his eyebrow slightly in confusion. Cradling his helmet in the crook of his arm, The Spartan studied the small group before him, weary of what they were capable of.

"Who's in charge?" he asked. Tenzin lowered his arms slightly and walked forward.

"I am, Councilmen Tenzin of the United Republic Council. May I ask who you are?" he asked. The Spartan clicked his heels together and stood a little broader.

"Spartan Beta Company Number 170, Wade, Warrant Officer," came the reply. The others lowered their arms, but remained tense should things go down hill.

"Where am I?" the Spartan asked, looking back toward the city.

"Republic City, capital of The United Republic of Nations," Tenzin replied, pride resonating in his voice.

"Do you have any contact with the UNSC?" Wade asked. Tenzin's features showed confusion and puzzlement, but also a bit of recondition.

"We do not have contact with this group," he said, stroking his goatee slightly.

"The Covenant?" The Spartan asked, reaching over his shoulder with his free hand to grasp the battle rifle.

"The who?" came Korra's confused voice from behind Tenzin. Wade froze, his fingers just barely brushing against the rifle. Narrowing his eyes slightly, The Spartan returned his arm to its place by its side.

"Have you seen anyone else who looked similar to me?" he asked. Everyone but Tenzin shook their heads.

"There is one, in the city, who showed up some years ago. He was wearing armor similar to yours," said Tenzin.

"Take me to him."

"We will, tomorrow. For now let us all get some rest. You are welcome to join us Spartan, the city can be quite dangerous at night," Tenzin said as he turned to walk into the temple. The Spartan remained rooted to the spot, along with the teens.

"So how old are you?" asked Bolin, attempting to break the awkward silence.

"20," he replied, looking up at the clouds that were rolling down from the mountains.

"How'd you get that scar?" asked the young Earthbender, unaware that he was crossing into dangerous territory. Both Korra and Mako tensed as they watched The Spartan's eyes narrow with anger.

"None of your damn business," he replied. Korra nudged Mako slightly when she saw that Bolin was getting ready to ask another question.

"Where did you?"

"Bro, knock of the questions," Mako interrupted, looking aggravated with his younger sibling.

"Your room is ready, Mr. Wade, if you would please follow me," said Tenzin as he reappeared at the entrance to the temple. Seeing no alternative, The Spartan followed The Airbending Master.

* * *

_UNSC Defense Platform Cairo, in orbit over Earth. October 23, 2552. Three days after Slipspace Event. _

"What's the damage report on New Mombasa?" asked Lord Hood as he stood before a hologram table.

"All current reports conform massive damage, the Space Elevator has collapsed and Covenant Forces still occupy most of the city," came the electronic female voice of an AI.

"What about the ODST teams that were dropped into the city?"

"All units are either engaged or have…disappeared," came the reply. The Admiral looked to a small nearby podium, where a holographic image stood.

"What do you mean disappeared?" he asked.

"All reports indicate that many pods dropped toward the Covenant Carrier that jumped in the city never reached the ground, simply disappearing into thin air. Also many ground unites disappeared in the event as well, including at least two Spartan-IIIs, both from Beta Company. We would have been able to locate their bodies and pods with armor beacons, but it's like they never existed." The Admiral took his hat off for a moment, to wipe the sweat off his brow. It had been a very long week.

"What of _In Amber Clad_?"

"Still nothing yet. An interesting side note: Dr. Halsey reported from Onyx eleven years ago that a Spartan Fire Team in training also disappeared without a trace, the team was also from Beta Company."

"Do you think there's a link between the two events?"

"Aside from both having members of Beta Company involved there is none currently, I'll update you later. One more report coming in, a UNSC ship just jumped out of system." A look of shock came over the Admiral's face, as he had ordered all ships to remain in defense of the system.

"Class and Destination?" he asked.

"Marathon Class cruiser _Winner Takes All_, Captained by Daniel Hopkins. A bit of a rouge as suggested by his record. As for the destination, the cruiser was giving pursuit of the Covenant Carrier," the AI replied.

"Its been three days, isn't that too long of time to follow the Carrier?"

"Way to long. The Slipspace Wake of the Carrier would have weakened way too much for a ship to follow. There's a high possibility that the _Winner Takes All_ will be forced out of slipspace before she reaches the destination, very violently forced out at that."

"What are the possibilities that the ship will survive exiting from slipspace?"

"There's a good possibility that the ship will survive the exit, however weather it will still be in one piece is a coin toss."


	4. Chapter 4: Suppertime

**As always, please review and let me know what you think. **

**A/N: bonus points to whoever can tell me the reference to the original Halo game in this chapter, so please review and let me know.  
**

"Tell me, how did you get here?" asked Tenzin led the way through the halls. The Spartan followed behind him, his massive frame not making a sound on the wood plank floor.

"To be honest sir, I'm still not sure where I'm exactly at," he replied as he ignored the stares he got from the various Air Acolytes. After all, it wasn't like his green and gray armor blended in with the yellow and orange robes of the monks. Wade was aware that the teens were following behind, watching his every move.

"Where were you before you arrived in the city?" asked Tenzin.

"Up in the mountains," he replied, remembering back to the incident and before. Part of him wondered what had happened to the ODSTs he had been with, and what had happened to the Covenant that had fled before the blast.

Tenzin came to a halt before a simple wooden door before he turned and looked back at Wade.

"This is your room," he said simply, motioning to the door with his left hand. The Spartan reached out his right hand and opened the door, reveling a simple room with a round window and a bed.

"May I have some clothes? I don't need to be wearing my armor all the time," he said. Tenzin nodded once before he walked past the Spartan and began to descend the stairs.

"Dinner will be ready soon," the Airbending Master said over his shoulder before he disappeared from sight. After watching Tenzin leave, Wade turned and entered the room. He walked over to the bed and sat the helmet down, so that it was facing the far wall. Reaching over his shoulder, the Spartan pulled the battle rifle from its place on his back and sat it in the corner.

Next, he pulled his pistol from his hip and let the magazine slide out. Pulling the slide back, he ejected the round in the chamber before he sat the gun down on the bed next to the helmet. As he was pulling grenades from his belt, Korra entered the room with a set of clothes in her hands.

"What are these?" she asked, reaching out to touch one of the grenades. She froze when Wade grasped her wrist.

"Don't touch those," he said plainly, not looking away from his equipment. Korra looked slightly shaken as she attempted to pull away from the Spartan's iron grip. After a moment, he released his grip and returned to what he was doing. Rather then run from the room, Korra took a step back in order to recover her balance.

She watched as Wade began to strip the armor from his mid section, setting the various metal sections on the floor. Taking a last glance at his abs, Korra excused herself as he began to strip off his lower half.

Korra found Tenzin and his family sitting in the dining room, preparing to start the evening meal with her friends. She took a seat across from Mako, next to Bolin. After a few minutes, Wade appeared at the entrance to the room. He wore a leather vest over a white button up shirt with gray trousers, and he was barefoot.

"The shoes didn't fit," he mumbled as he took a seat at the end of table. An awkward silence filled the air.

"Are you a soldier?" asked one of the younger girls that sat at the table.

"Iikki!" Tenzin snapped, glaring at her. But Wade continued began to eat like he hadn't been asked a question.

"Yes," he said after a few heartbeats.

"So what's up with the whole fire and rock deal?" he asked, slightly replicating the bending moves he had seen earlier.

"Bending is an ancient art of our world, it helps the identity of the nations and keeps us united, well most of the time it does," said Tenzin. Wade didn't remark of it, as he had seen many strange things. A few more moments passed before Bolin broke the silence.

"So a Spartan is a soldier?" he asked. The Spartan didn't look up from his food.

"Soldier, scout, assassin, genius. Whatever the UNSC wants us to be," he replied. After a few moments he looked up at Tenzin.

"What do you know of it?" he asked. Sitting back slightly, The Airbending Master stroked his goatee in thought.

"Twenty Years Ago, a man wandered into the city. He wore something similar to what you were wearing only he lacked the helmet. My father had a long discussion with him. I don't know what exactly what was discussed but when it ended the man was given a place of residence and a position with the United Forces," he explained.

"Did this man have a name or a rank?" The Spartan asked.

"He's a sergeant, by the name of John Forge," Tenzin replied. Wade recognized the name. Sergeant Forge had been involved in the beginning of the war with the Covenant, and had supposedly died in a slipspace explosion a year before he had been born.

"Tomorrow we will take you to him, but before that we must get some sleep," said Tenzin as he stood. The Spartan agreed with him, after all, it had been one hell of a day.

_UNSC cruiser_ Winner Takes All_. Slipspace, in pursuit of Covenant Carrier. _

"Capitan, I must strongly urge you to reconsider you current course of action," said the electronic female voice of the ship's AI. Capitan Daniel Hopkins adjusted his cap slightly as he looked over a holographic table on the bridge of the ship.

"We keep the course Athena," Hopkins replied, not looking up from his work.

"Sir, need I remind you that The Slipspace Wake left by the Carrier is highly."

"I don't care if it's made out of swiss cheese, stay the course!" The Capitan shouted. The AI's avatar flinched slightly, but crossed her arms as she turned from a light to dark green. Suddenly, the ship shook violently like a massive earthquake had erupted in its bowels.

Stars burst into existence outside the bridge as the _Winner Takes All_ dropped out of slipspace. Athena's avatar turned red as alarms began to blare throughout the still shaking ship. Hopkins grasped the table as a few panels fell from the ceiling and landed on the floor.

"Athena, report!" he shouted.

"Just as I predicted, we've been forced out of slipspace. The ship has sustained massive external damage and our engines are running at one percent capacity," the AI replied, her avatar turning to a violet color.

"Is there any nearby surface we can land on?" Hopkins asked as he stumbled to another nearby table. Athena's avatar snapped her fingers, causing a holographic image of a planet to appear on the table before The Capitan.

"Scans detect one Earth like planet within range of the ship."

"Good, land on it."

"The ship has sustained a massive amount of damage Capitan, an atmospheric landing may be too dangerous to attempt," said Athena, attempting to argue with Hopkins. But the Capitan would have none of it.

"Order everyone to the escape pods, those that don't make it are riding with me to the surface," he said as he balanced himself against the table. Athena unfolded her arms and placed one to her temple, changing colors again to a dark pink.

"Capitan, there are enough dead heroes in this war," she said plainly. Simply turning to look out the windows, the Capitan watched as the planet came into view.

"Your leaving the ship as well Athena, destruction of an AI is simply forbidden. Besides, someone needs to guide this hunk of metal down. Might as well be me," he said.


	5. Chapter 5: Falling Skies

**As always, please review and let me know what you think. **

The sky bison let loose a rumbling grumble as it descended toward a rundown set of apartment buildings. As the bison sat down in the street, everyone quickly disembarked from the saddle on its back.

"I still don't see the mechanics that allow it to fly," Wade muttered as he landed in the street with ease. The Spartan had left his armor and battle rifle on Air Temple Island, but had stuck his pistol through the belt around his waist. In less then twenty-four hours, his appearance had gone from armored super soldier of the future to gunslinger of the past.

"I've already explained to you, the sky bison's use Airbending as a means of flight," explained Tenzin as he gliding himself down from the Bison's head.

"Still trying to work that one out as well, boss," the unarmored Spartan said, unhappiness resonating in his voice. He didn't like to venture very far without his armor. Rather then reply, the Airbending Master led Wade, Korra, and Mako into the building.

The inside was so dimly lit that Mako and Korra held up their palms, allowing small flames to form there in order to light the way. The Spartan however hardly required this, as his vision was almost perfect in the dark. Dust and mothballs filled the air, a definite sigh that the place was either abandoned or hadn't been cleaned in thirty years.

The old wooden stairs creaked as the group climbed to the second floor. A door down the hall creaked as a draft pushed and tugged on it. After passing several doors, Tenzin finally came to a halt before one that was about as far from the stairs as possible.

With his hand resting on the hilt of his gun, Wade entered the room without so much as a care. A candle sat on a table about twenty feet in from the door; the only other light source in the room came from the dirt-covered window on the other side of the room.

The unmistakable sound of a shotgun being racked filled the air, causing The Spartan to freeze and reach for his pistol.

"None of that, hands to the sky," came a voice from the shadows. If Wade had been wearing his armor, he would have broken every bone in the person's body.

"Easy now, Sergeant," the Spartan replied, his hands held aloft. A chuckle imitated from behind him.

"I haven't been called that in a long time son," came the voice. Wade fought the urge to break the man's hand as it snaked around his side and pulled the pistol from his belt.

"UNSC huh? What branch? Marines?"

"ONI," Wade replied. He felt the shotgun barrel press into the small of his back.

"Spook?" came the question.

"Spartan," was the reply. Silence filled the air, followed closely by the barrel being removed from the small of his back.

"Turn slowly and keep the hands raised," came the voice. Obeying the order, Wade turned to face his captor. The man's hard face had lost most of its youth, instead looking like that of an old veteran. His head, which was once shaved, had greasy black hair that was fading to gray. All in all, John Forge barely looked like a shadow of his former self.

"How much time has passed since I left?" John asked, the shotgun still pointed at Wade.

"Twenty one years," he replied, glancing at the shotgun. The Sergeant blinked once, but remained unfazed.

"How's the War with the Covenant going?" he asked, seemingly unaware of Tenzin, Korra, and Mako.

"Bad. Now if you don't mind can you get that shotgun out of my gut before we continued?" Wade asked. After a moment, Forge lowered the weapon, but still kept it at the ready.

"You said it was going bad, how bad exactly?" he asked after a tense moment. Several moments later, The Spartan finally answered.

"New Mombasa was under attack when I left," he replied. Forge finally lowered the shotgun all the way when he heard that, running his fingers through his greasy hair.

"Damn, that is bad," he said. A faint rattling filled the air as plates and glasses began to vibrate. The intensity of the vibrations increased, elevating to the point that the room shook like it was in an earthquake. Forge turned suddenly and stumbled into a nearby room, with the others following quickly.

He ran up to the wall and through open a double set of doors, reviling a balcony above the street. The sky bison let out a long grumble before taking to the sky in an effort to try and escape the shaking.

"Look!" said Korra, pointing up into the sky. A massive fireball filled the sky as it fell from the heavens, passing over the city from the sea and heading inland. Smaller fireballs streaked away from the main one, landing all over the place.

"It's a falling star," said Tenzin as he balanced himself against the doorframe.

"No, it's a UNSC ship," said The Spartan as he watched. One of the smaller fireballs suddenly bounced off the roof of a nearby building and smashed into the street, tearing up a good portion of it and skidding underneath the balcony. As the pod slid to a halt, Wade snatched his pistol back from Forge and bounded over the balcony.

Jumping over the line of fire in the crater, The Spartan sprinted to the pod. The doors at the rear slid open as a few men and women in Marine body armor and crew jumpsuits stumbled out slightly, shaken up by the impact.

"What's your ship's name?" he called over the roar of the falling ship. One of the Marines managed to steady himself before he looked at Wade.

"UNSC cruiser _Winner Takes All_, we dropped out of slipspace rather violently and couldn't maintain control," he replied. Turning, the Spartan sprinted back for the small group that was stumbling out of the building.

"What the hell is going on?" Forge called, motioning to the ship that was disappearing over the snow capped mountains.

"Councilman, we need to get on the horn and send out a warning across the world. If a single scrap of technology on that ship falls into the wrong hands, it will take the combined might to put them down," he said.

"Not to mention all the crewmen and Marines that are jarred by the impact," Forge added. Tenzin nodded before he pulled out a small bison shaped whistle.

"I will figure out where you ship lands as soon as I can," he said.


	6. Chapter 6: AI Missing

**As always, please review and let me know what you think. **

The small column of trucks bounced over the uneven ground, nearing the edge of the Si Wong Desert. Forge stood in the back of the lead truck, a pair of binoculars to his eyes. In the rear of all the trucks sat a combination of troops from the United Republic and the Earth Kingdom.

So far, the escape pods from the _Winner Takes All_ that had landed in the United Republic and Western Earth Kingdom had been secured. However the ones that had landed in the Fire Nation or the sea had yet to be located. The main body of the cruiser itself had touched down on the edge of the Si Wong Desert.

"This is Spartan B170 to any UNSC forces, do you copy?" asked Wade into his helmet mic. Just before this expedition had begun, he had returned to Air Temple Island and dawned his armor.

"Any luck Spartan?" asked Korra from the cab of the truck they were in. The faceless warrior remained silent, listening to the comm. channels that hummed in his helmet.

"Affirmative Spartan, this is UNSC AI Athena of the _Winner Takes All,_" a response finally crackled. The female voice had startled the Spartan a bit, as he had grown use to listening to the crackle of the radio.

"What's the status of the ship Athena?" he asked.

"Heavy external hull damage, but a majority of the crew is alive, Capitan Hopkins amongst the dead. All Longswords, Tanks, Warthogs, and Mongooses are intact and operable," the AI replied. The Spartan didn't reply, but rather pounding his fist on the roof of the cab.

Asami slammed on the breaks, bringing the truck to a halt. Jumping out of the back, he slowly made his way to just in front of the truck. Knelling down, he ran his hand through the sandy soil. The others watched this with puzzlement, confused by what was happening.

"What is it Spartan?" Forge asked. Standing up, the Spartan held a large chunk of glass in the air. They had found the trail of the ship as it touched down.

"Heat from the ship turned the sand to glass," he said before he dropped the chunk and looked to his right, studying the trail. Then he noticed a set of tire tracks.

"Athena, all non-UNSC authorized personal are wearing either green or gray," said the Spartan into his mic.

"What about black? Sensors and surviving external cameras show a large group of humanoids wearing black," came the reply. Looking up, the Spartan returned to the truck.

"Are they're any United Forces group that wears black?" he asked. Both Korra and Asami's eyes grew wide.

"Equalests," said Forge, looking through his binoculars in the direction of the ship. They had told Wade of the Equilests, and his initial opinion of them had been nothing more then a local fanatic group. But after seeing what they could do, the Spartan now viewed them as a real threat.

"Negative! Negative! All black wearing humanoids are not authorized and they are not friendly! Defend the ship at all costs Athena!" he shouted into his mic as he jumped into the bed of the truck and pounded on the cab again. Asami spun the wheel and pressed the petal to the floor.

Sand and grass flew up from the tires as the truck swerved slightly. The convoy was now racing toward the _Winner Takes All_ at a high rate of speed.

Athena ran through her data files at the speed of light, calculating the best way to combat these locals. From what her scans had shown, none of the locals appeared to be carrying any sort of advanced weaponry. The remaining marines and crew should not have a problem defending the ship until the Spartan and other allies arrived.

"Attention, all crew members, prepare for immediate assault," she said, broadcasting over the ship's intercom. She watched from the internal cameras as the crewmembers and marines raced to arm themselves. Switching back to the surviving external cameras, Athena watched as the locals approached.

Equilests, that was what the Spartan had called them. Some of the soldiers who were outside the hull were already setting up a defensive perimeter. But she knew that the ship was too large for them to completely defend it. No doubt, there was going to be a hull breech somewhere.

The sound of gunfire attracted her attention. The Equilests were riding on motorcycles, surrounding the ship like an attacking Native American war party. They kept their distance, fearful of the gunfire from the marines.

Sensing a presence on the bridge, Athena switched to her avatar. A lone marine was standing in the burn out room, studying the mound of sand that had been forced through the shattered window. No doubt, this would be one of the areas the Equilests would enter the ship.

"Yank me, trooper," she said, drawing the Marine's attention to her avatar. Still watching the window, the Marine made his way over to the pedestal where her avatar stood.

"You sure, maim?" the marine asked.

"Protocol still dictates here, even if those people out there are aren't Covenant, my capture is still unacceptable," she said. Nodding in silence, the Marine walked forward and gently slid the holodisk from its place on the pedestal. Athena's avatar faded out of existence as the disk slid out, confirming the AI absence.

Unnoticed by the Marine, an Equalist slipped onto the bridge. Before he could react, his chi was blocked and he fell to the floor, the holodisk still clutched in his hand. Unable to move, he watched as the disk was plucked form his hand and his weapon taken before the Equilest slipped back out of the ship.

The truck had barely slid to a halt before Wade bounded over the cab, his battle rifle in hand. He landed with a roll before he charged the Equalest line between him and the ship. The three round bursts cut down many of the motorcycle riders, opening a gap for the Spartan to bound through the line.

One of the Equilests leapt off of his bike and jumped in front of the Spartan. He tried to swing his fists in order to block his chi, but cried out as his fists collided with the Spartan's shields. Before the Equilest could react, Wade grabbed his arm and spun him around before kicking him in the back, breaking his spine with a sicking crack.

Two more Equalests, noticing their fallen comrade, charged the Spartan as well. Their ball and chain weapons tore the battle rifle out of his hands, but harmlessly bounced off his shields. Drawing his pistol, Wade fired two shots, one for Equalest before he used his foot to kick upward, springing the rifle into the air for him to catch.

Running again, he quickly arrived at the partly buried bridge. Climbing inside, he studied the area, taking note of the fallen Marine before hurrying to the AI pedestal. Just as he feared, the AI holodisk was missing. Turning his attention away from the pedestal, The Spartan began to make sure the Marine was still alive.

"Forge," he said into his helmet mic. A silent pause filled the air, coupled with the buzz of the radio.

"Forge here," came the reply.

"The AI's gone, they got Athena," the Spartan said. Another pause filled the air.

"May God help us all," finally came the answer.


	7. Chapter 7: Old Stories

**As always, please review and let me know what you think. **

Korra meditated on a small bluff, overlooking the harbor. It had been only a few hours since their return from the Si Wong Desert. The crew of the _Winner Takes All_ were currently being housed at the nearest United Forces barracks. The surviving officers were at city hall with Tenzin, attempting to coordinate a recovery of the remaining pods and marines from the Fire Nation.

The crew had taken a lot of time in order to salvage what they could from the wreck, and what ever was left was scorched with thermite. But with Athena in Equalist hands, things were still very bad.

"Mind if I join you?" came a voice from behind her. Korra's eyes snapped opened in surprise before looking back to see Wade. The Spartan was out of his armor and back in the clothing that had been given to him.

"No, of course not," she said nervously. Having seen what he was capable of during the battle with the Equalists at the wreck, Korra was more wary of him then ever. Wade lowered himself to the ground, allowing his legs to dangle over the cliff edge.

For the longest time, the two remained silent, looking out over the city. The scene remained the Spartan of New Alexandria, before Reach had fallen to The Covenant. Deep down, he felt as if he had failed. It had been his and his comrades' duty to protect and defend Earth; but The Covenant had attacked it anyway. For all Wade knew, the planet was probably being glassed right now.

"Why are you so quite all the time?" Korra suddenly asked. The Spartan wasn't surprised; he had been expecting her to question him sooner or later.

"Keeping quite keeps you alive," he replied.

"Who taught you that?" she asked, expecting a case of an abusive parent of some kind. Silence followed as thoughts from the Spartan's earliest days swarmed his mind.

"The Covenant," he finally answered. Korra remained silent as she studied Wade's unreadable face; the scar of burnt flesh was evident on his cheek. She had only heard him reference The Covenant once before, and he didn't seem too happy about them. Some of the marines and crew from the wreck had also mentioned The Covenant, but even then it was hushed.

"I was born on a world called Jericho VII," The Spartan said suddenly. Korra blinked at the sudden release of information from him.

"Was it anything like this?" she asked, motioning to the city before them. Wade simply shrugged as he looked.

"I don't remember much of it," he said. Korra thought back to being moved to the White Lotus Compound back home.

"Did you move?" she asked. Wade shook his head, his eyes taking on a thousand yard stare.

"Was evacuated," he replied. She blinked in surprise when she heard this.

"What happened?" she asked.

"The Covenant happened," he replied. Screams of panicked civilians filled the Spartan's head as he thought back. He could still remember the smoke, the crackle of the air as plasma sailed overhead, the clatter of the Marines rifles as they fought.

"My father and mother were killed during the confusion, I was recovered at the last second by a Spartan II," he continued. He could still see the white 117 on the left shoulder of the olive green giant. Korra had guessed that he had no family; manly due to the way he acted detached and cold all the time. But this revelation had stunned her, as he never reveled more then what was necessary.

"Is that how you got the scar?" she asked, motioning to his cheek. She braced herself incase she had crossed the line, but he simply took in a breath before answering.

"Yes, I was in the hospital for two months on Reach. After that I lived in an orphanage," he said. Korra fell silent as she looked out at the city. Dusk was setting in and the buildings were starting to glow.

"Korra! Korrra!" came Bolin's shout, taking time to draw out her name with each call. Excusing herself, Korra leapt to her feet and hurried off to find Bolin. Wade leaned forward and studied the waves crashing on the shoreline below.

Something about Korra told the Spartan that she was trustworthy. From what he had seen of this world, the top-secret information he had just given was relatively useless to them. Almost no one knew his background except him, and a few of the higher ups in ONI.

Standing up, he began to make his way back into the temple for supper. While passing through the hallways, he spotted Pema struggling with a large bowl full of stew for supper. He quickly took the bowl from the pregnant woman, lifting it as if it were weightless.

"That's really not necessary," she said as he led the way to the dining room.

"It's only fair maim," he replied. After setting the bowl down, he turned and faced Pema, as if waiting for more orders.

"Wade, can you guarantee that my children are safe will all these men running around?" she asked.

"Absolutely maim. There is no safer place on the planet with these men here," he replied instantly. Out of everything he had seen, even with the never-ending advance of The Covenant, the Spartan believed that UNSC marines and personal were the best fighters anywhere.

"They're asking for you outside, Spartan," said Forge as he walked in to the dining room. He had shaven his head, and looked more like a soldier then when Wade had first found him. The Spartan excused himself before being led outside into the cool night air. A few tables had been set up with various bits of equipment strewn across them.

"Ah, Warrant Officer. Back in civilian clothes I see," said one of the crewmembers, a commander judging by the patches on his shoulder and arms.

"What's the situation sir?" Wade asked, ignoring the comment. The commander led the way over to a table and waved his hand over it. A holographic map of the city and surrounding landscape appeared.

"We've been picking up multiple plasma and radiation spikes in this area," said the commander, pointing to a red dot in the mountains north of the city.

"We have reason to believe that this where the local insurrection is holding Athena. You are to accompany a group of marines and investigate," he continued. The Spartan studied the map closely before answering.

"Sir, from what I've seen of these locals, they don't have the capacity to work with radiation or plasma," he said.

"They have a Smart AI in their presence Warrant Officer, how do you know they didn't learn something from it," the commander countered. The Spartan remained silent as he studied the map. He had seen plenty of ambushes set up like this with The Covenant, and he didn't like the look of this one bit.

"Sir, even with an AI I don't think that the Equalists could have…" Forge started.

"Sergeant Forge I have read your file, and I will tell you right now that insubordination will get you no where with me. Now I say that they are conducting experiments and we are going to put an end to it," the commander interrupted.

"You'd be surprised how often what you say and what is actually going on differs, sir," The Spartan said before both he and Forge turned and walked away. It wasn't until they reentered the temple did they start to speak.

"So what do you think?" Forge asked.

"I think there's a trap," came the reply. Forge looked behind them to see if they were being followed.

"And what do you wanna do?" he asked. Wade grinned slightly as they approached the dining room.

"Spring the trap," he replied.


End file.
